If these, in fact, turn out to be center Timofey Mozgov’s last days with the Nuggets, he’s going out with nothing but hard work and class. Pressed into action because of the injury to JaVale McGee, Mozgov has played good minutes for the Nuggets, who have won all three games in which he’s played extended time.

His coach, George Karl, took a moment to express his gratitude at Mozgov’s approach to always being ready to play.

“It’s great,” Karl said. “Timofey is exactly…he works so hard and is so professional about it, his job. I know he can play in this league, I know he’s a 20-minute player. I just don’t have 20 minutes to give him. I feel bad for him. But in my opinion the way we’re rotating the team, it’s been successful. And someone told me that our starting lineup is in the top five of starting lineups, plus/minus, in the NBA. And so I can’t…changing it up right now is, I think it has to be dictated by injuries, which is happening right now.”

It’s halfway through the NBA season and it looks like things are crystallizing in Nuggets’ guard Andre Iguodala’s head concerning his opt-out decision at the end of the season.

Though he did not say it specifically it appears he’s leaning toward staying with the Nuggets long term, but here’s how: By opting out of his current contract, which would pay him roughly $16.2 million next season and signing a new, multiyear deal – even if the annual value of the contract comes out to be less than what he’s making now and scheduled to make next season.

Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri has gotten lost in the shuffle of the season, and he prefers it that way. But he has a contract situation of his own.

He is in the final year of a three-year deal and has quickly become one of the most coveted general managers in the NBA. And though Ujiri steadfastly refuses to say anything related to his own contract extension, nothing is expected to happen with it until after the season, an NBA source said.

Ujiri is the architect behind the Nuggets current – and on-going – makeover, having to trade star player Carmelo Anthony mere months after getting the job in 2010. Since that trade, which drastically changed the look of the team, the Nuggets are 82-53 (.607) with two playoff appearances. The team is 26-18 so far this season.

Remember, the Nuggets don’t necessarily have to lock in a deal with point guard Ty Lawson before the Wednesday deadline; if they don’t agree on a contract extension, Lawson will be a restricted free agent this summer. But Lawson, understandably, wants a deal done, and right now, it sounds like it’s not happening.

“I don’t think we’re at the point where we want to be at right now,” Lawson said today after practice. “We’ll see, we have two days left.

“Today it weighed on me (at practice) more than most days. I talked to my agent right before I came here. I was kind of disappointed. But we’ll see what happens.

Second-round pick Quincy Miller signed with the Nuggets today, giving the squad 15 players heading into training camp, which opens on Oct. 2.

It’s understood that on this deep Nuggets team, the 19 year old will likely spend some time in the D-League this season. But the plan is to have the Baylor product in camp and let him develop with Denver’s assistants as much as possible.

The 6-9, 210-pound forward, was the 38th overall selection in the draft, after being named the 2011-12 Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 37 games, helping the Bears reach the Elite Eight.

In a short amount of time, Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has proven to be as persuasive with players as he has been shrewd with other general managers. In the face of many who believe the Nuggets are doomed in getting top talent to stay in town when they hit free agent status, he’s been able to keep it here.

Still, there is a roll-the-dice quotient to the acquisition of Andre Iguodala that is squirm-worthy for anyone banking on the hyper-athletic small forward being in a Nuggets uniform for years to come.

Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul talk to kids in Parker at the Chauncey Billups Basketball Academy camp on Monday.

PARKER – It’s been a decade since Chauncey Billups was last pursued as hard by NBA teams in free agency as he expects to be this year.

And his good friend, L.A. Clippers guard Chris Paul, aims to be at the top of the list, hoping to get him back in red, blue and white for the 2012-13 season.

“He knows my top priority right now is to make sure he’s back with us again next season,” said Paul, a special guest today at Chauncey Billups’ basketball camp at Parker Fieldhouse.

“That was the best backcourt mate I played with since I’ve been in the NBA. He just gave me so much confidence and made things so much easier for me. So I need him back and want him back with the Clippers.”

The biggest irritant to any player in a trade-talk scenario is not knowing what is happening.

So the player will call their agent and whoever else they need to talk to in order to get enough information to stay on par – or ahead – of the game. A player that is surprised by new info by the media or someone not connected to the process makes that individual very unhappy.

That has not been the case in Denver, where Carmelo Anthony says he meets often with Nuggets executives Masai Ujiri and Josh Kroenke, who are constantly in his ear about developments in his status with the Nuggets.

Asked if he ever has to go to them when he wants an update, Anthony shook his head.

Oddly enough, Carmelo Anthony isn’t the only Nugget this season that has an opt-out clause in his contract for next season. There are two.

Nene is the other.

But unlike Anthony, Nene — a native of Brazil — has grown to love the city of Denver and the state of Colorado and desperately desires to stay. He wants to extend his contract with the Nuggets and says those talks have begun to some degree. He does plan to not opt out of the final year of his deal, which will pay him $11.6 million next season.

Carmelo Anthony on the bench during the fourth quarter in a loss to the Spurs on Sunday. (AP)

SAN ANTONIO – It’s almost fitting that news broke of an impending meeting between the Nets and Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony in the city of the Alamo.

Consider this the Nuggets’ and Nets’ last stand. They can only hope it ends better than that did for the Texian Army in 1836.

Anthony doesn’t want to sign an extension with the Nets. If he did, this teeth-pulling exercise probably wouldn’t be necessary and he would have done so long ago. Anthony’s reluctance to give a definitive verdict — or the two organizations’ reluctance to accept one to the negative – has kept the Nets portion of the trade saga going. This is probably the week we reach a final ruling one way or another on a trade that involves Anthony and 13 or more other players, one of which is Chauncey Billups who’d rather stay in Denver.

Ty Lawson (3) has been terrific for the Nuggets this season. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The dawn of a new calendar year generally marks the time when those engrossed in football begin to turn their attention in earnest to the hardwood. The Nuggets have had a season’s worth of stories in just over two months. We know you haven’t paid attention to every dribble and that’s why this is here to catch you up. Here’s what you missed:

The team announced contract extension negotiations with coach George Karl today, but the question remains: How much longer does he want to coach?

Asked that question Karl said he’s a “a three-year guy.”

“I’d be 63 then,” Karl said. “If I want to do it after that, then we talk again maybe. I think I have the passion and the bottle of energy to try to keep this Broadway show going.”

As for the organization’s strong willingness to re-sign him for the near future, preferably three years by Karl’s timetable, the coach said “I think we’re all excited. We’ve had a good run here. We’d like another shot at trying to get to the top of the mountain. (Executive vice president of basketball operations) Masai (Ujiri) and (team president) Josh (Kroenke) have done a great job. I’ve always enjoyed my time with Stan (Kroenke). I think the team is in a good place.”

Last season, Karl signed a one-year extension that expires at the end of this year. In his seventh season with the Nuggets, he’s compiled a 289-178 record with playoff appearances in every season, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2009.

And he has big plans in the near future for these Nuggets.

“We’re not a top five team in the NBA,” he said, “but I don’t think we’re that far from being one.”

Soon after he was signed to a max contract with the New York Knicks in the summer, Amar’e Stoudemire turned from basketball player to recruiter. And after the dust settled on the LeBron James/Dywane Wade/Chris Bosh union, his gaze – along with every Knicks fan’s – turned toward Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony.

Back then he said he’d like to team with Anthony in New York. Today, as he sat in front of assorted media during Knicks shootaround, he wasn’t about to back off of those comments.

“Again, we all love Carmelo here,” Stoudemire said. “We understand what type of player he is and how he can help the team. But we can’t focus on that right now. We have to focus on the situation at hand and try to rack up some wins.”

There is no doubt the star forward has already thought a time or two about what the Knicks might look like with Anthony. New York has limped out of the gate to a 3-7 record and Stoudemire has voiced his displeasure about the situation.

But asked if he has talked to Anthony about trades or anything else about Nuggets’ star’s situation, he said no.

“I haven’t talked to him this season yet,” Stoudemire said. “We text back and forth every now and then about good game, congratulations, things of that nature. But we really haven’t talked about a specific team or situation at all.”

The two are very good friends.

“I love Carmelo,” Stoudemire said. “He’s a good friend of mine. Anytime you could team up with great friends of yours it would be a lot of fun. But again, we both have our individual situations with our particular teams, and we have to focus in on that. So we can’t determine what the near future holds. But anytime you can team up with a good friend, that would be great.”

Anthony is off to a solid start with the Nuggets, averaging a near double-double of 24.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He had the first 20-20 game of his career on Monday night against Phoenix, finishing with 20 points and 22 rebounds.

“I see him more physical this year, to be honest with you,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He had a couple dunks last game that we haven’t seen, and he looks good.”

Because Anthony is playing so well, Stoudemire says it wouldn’t shock him to see Anthony stay in Denver the entire season.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Stoudemire said. “Denver is playing well, and he’s playing well. Still not totally sure how it’s all going to play out.”

Still, Stoudemire warned, “It’ll be tough. As a team you don’t want a player to leave and then you don’t get nothing for him. So it’s a tough decision for any organization. But again, it can happen that way. It happened that way this offseason. So you never know what may happen.”

“I hope not, because it is part of the business, something that you have to deal with daily,” D’Antoni said. “And as soon as you learn that’s just the way it is and understand that basketball speaks, you get on the court do the best you can and understand it’s a business. That’s part of being in the league. Hopefully it hasn’t, but you’d have to ask him.”

Kenyon Martin is reading the tea leaves. They are telling him this is probably his last year with the Nuggets. If that’s the case he says he can deal with it. It’s just that he would have liked the organization to show him the respect of at least offering another contract.

But the Nuggets haven’t. And Martin, who will make roughly $16.5 million in the last year of what was a seven-year, $90 million deal that started in 2004, isn’t taking the snub lightly.

“I don’t want to leave,” Martin said this afternoon. “I love the guys, I love the organization. But I understand if that is going to be the case. They haven’t said anything all summer. Wait. They said something; they gave Al (Harrington) the money. I don’t have any problem with Al, but me and Al play the same position. I think I’ve helped around here. I don’t think I’ve been that big of a problem. I think I’ve helped win a few games here and there.”

If the Carmelo Anthony-to-New Jersey trade goes through, the biggest thing the Nuggets will have accomplished is salary cap relief. The expiring contracts of Andrei Kirilenko, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith add up to more than $40 million worth.

That, and they did get what is projected by many to be a player with solid potential in rookie forward Derek Favors.

Denver can just trade the dude to a team that would, essentially, rent Melo for a season (or some of the season, depending when the trade is made). But that team wants the hope that Melo will re-sign with them the next summer, when Melo is a free agent. As CBSsportsline.com reported, Melo is yapping in NYC that he wants to be in the city, which hurts the Nuggets’ poker game – if teams believe Melo won’t re-sign with them, they’ll then offer less to Denver in exchange for Melo. Also, if the Nuggets are going to make a move this summer, they better do so before more teams use up their cap space.

If the Nuggets hold onto Melo all season, and can’t get the truth out of him (the truth of whether or not he’ll re-sign in the summer), the Nuggets then aren’t just hoping he’ll re-sign — they’re gambling, too. Both Cleveland and Toronto gambled last season, and both teams look to be terrible this season.

The Nuggets could work out a sign-and-trade situation with Melo this summer (or during the season), and once he has the extension under contract, he could be the tail wagging the dog, forcing the franchise to trade him to likable destinations.

But look – the New York Knicks don’t have that much to offer (unless Denver thinks the future lies in Danilo Gallinari), the Nets have some cap room to work with, but not many enticing parts besides Brook Lopez. And the Clippers are building young with studs such as Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon; if they traded those guys, they’d basically become the Denver Nuggets, for better or worse. And I can’t see Denver trading Melo to the other L.A. team.

It’ll be interesting to see Melo’s state of mind during the season. Right now, it’s easy to turn down a piece of paper (AKA the extension), or push aside a piece of paper. But what happens when the season starts, and that piece of paper representing the Nuggets becomes the actual Nuggets – the Kroenkes and George Karl and Tim Grgurich and Chauncey Billups and all these people whom he’ll spend every day with? Suddenly, it’s not so easy to say “I want out” of your basketball family.

The Nuggets are in a tough spot because they’re basically built for this coming season. Most of the key players – and the head coach, too – are in the last season of a contract. The 2011-12 Nuggets will look completely different, even if Melo returns. The thing they’re most-worried about is having a “rebuilding half-decade.” They don’t want a Dikembe Mutombo situation. If they trade Melo, they’re not going to get a Melo back, because there aren’t many second-team All-NBA players available in trade. A GM once told me that you don’t trade a “great” player for two “good” players, but in this situation, Denver will likely have to get some “good” freaking players because the great-player equivalent is unlikely available.

Which brings us to the new GM. As I’ve written several times, former Phoenix exec David Griffin is the frontrunner – he’s well-liked and has the most experience of all the current candidates. There will be so much pressure on him to make sure that if Denver trades Melo, Denver is on a fast-track rebuilding plan, a la Seattle/Oklahoma City or Portland or Chicago (now, of course, these teams were blessed with franchise-changing draft picks). Whatever happens, this guy must be able to plan for the future and think six years down the road, not just six months down the road. A few years ago, the New Orleans Hornets locked up some big contracts in efforts to win ASAP, upon their triumphant return to New Orleans in 2007-08 (after two post-Katrina seasons in Oklahoma City). They indeed had a splendid 2007-08 season with Chris Paul at the helm, finishing second in the West — but the following season, everything fell apart with injuries and immovable contracts. And the season after that (2009-10) the coach was fired and then, finally, the GM, this summer.

Back to the six month/year thing. Let’s say the Nuggets trade their superstar to Team X and get good-but-not-great Player A and Player B. Well, after the 2010-11 season, the Nuggets lose their nucleus, except for Ty Lawson and maybe Chauncey Billups if they re-sign him. So then this new front office, with some cap space, has to find the right piece to match with Ty, Chauncey, Player A and Player B. But there aren’t that many great players available in free agency next summer, compared to this summer — and moreover, other teams will have much more cap space than the Nuggets anyway (so the Nuggets wouldn’t even necessarily be in the running for a big-name free agent).

Lastly, Melo is on twitter (@carmeloanthony), but doesn’t often tweet actual thoughts; on the contrary, he normally promotes certain music or business things. But yesterday, he tweeted:

Funny how people come up with there own analysis of a situation. I tell you boy……. Unbelievable

Different cities, different teams, different situations. But Chris Paul's contract brouhaha is spilling over into Carmelo Anthony's. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Hey all, I just got back from New Orleans (hence the lack of blogs). I was astounded by all the buzz down there about Chris Paul, he of The Redeem Team, he of the two more looooong years under contract in New Orleans, he of “the toast,” in which CP3 said at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding that he, Melo and Amare Stoudemire would form their own hoops trio, according to a source in the New York Post.

Basically, Paul’s alleged desire to join a contender has become a hot topic in New Orleans, New York and here in Denver, where the antsy fans (and media) await Melo’s public decree that he’s re-signing with Denver, something sources said he would do.

As for Paul, I can understand his frustration. He’s an elite point guard, surrounded by suffocating contracts of Peja Stojakovic, James Posey and Emeka Okafor. His team’s only free agent move was Aaron Gray, though the Hornets, similarly to the Nuggets, could make a splash with a trade. After meeting with the Hornets brass, Paul then made some public statements about wanting to be a part of the organization, yet when asked by reporters to proclaim, once and for all, that he didn’t want to be traded, Paul said now wasn’t the time to do so.

It was interesting hearing some of the fan reactions to Paul in the previous days. New Orleans sports fans are a little different than other cities, notably because of their pride for the great city after Katrina and the levees nearly ruined the place. Some fans were disenchanted with the franchise player.

Look, it was explained — Drew Brees helped rebuild a trodden team into a winner, so if Paul doesn’t want to, why should the fans want him around?

Of course, it’s easy to see Paul’s side of things, too. He wants to win asap. With a new coach and general manager, there is some renewed optimism about the Hornets (also, second-year guard Darren Collison is coming off a splendid rookie campaign). But you need size to win in the West; Okafor and company can’t hold down the fort.

So if Melo doesn’t re-sign before next summer, it will be very, very interesting to see if Paul and Melo, who have the same agent, work out a deal to join a new team.

Carmelo Anthony wed T.V. personality LaLa Vazquez over the weekend, but it was Chris Paul's alleged toast that made the news. (Louis Lanzano, AP)

Even at his own wedding, Carmelo Anthony couldn’t escape talk of his contract.

Anthony, who wed T.V. personality LaLa Vazquez at a restaurant in New York City over the weekend, watched a toast by New Orleans Hornets’ guard Chris Paul take the news.

According to the New York Post, Paul allegedly toasted “We’ll form our own Big 3″ — in reference to himself, Anthony and the newest member of the Knicks, Amare Stoudemire. This, of course, on the heels of the party of three in South Beach.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.